Lightning bolt breaks record on Artemis I launch pad, says NASA | Sciences
2 min read
NASA, the US space agency, announced this week that Standard intensity lightning flash hit one of the launch complexes at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, While the Artemis I mission missile was parked at the site (See image below).
Despite the severity of the phenomenon, The event did no harm For the mission’s Space Launch System (SNL) nor for the Orion capsule, which was in the complex for the testing phase.
All this was going to happen in early April of this year, when lightning struck the lightning protection system of complex 39B. (See the video above with the other lightning recordings in the compound.)
Lightning taps into Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 2, 2022. – Image: NASA
“There was a tremendous amount of energy transferred through this event,” said chief technology officer Carlos Mata, who designed the system for NASA.
“After more than 30 milliseconds, we still had close to 3000 amps that was flowing across the earth. This particular event is within that small percentage – less than 1% – that you wouldn’t expect to happen,” added the expert.
NASA shows, by way of comparison, that our high-voltage transmission lines typically carry less than 3,000 amperes. To feed entire cities.
“When we started analyzing the data and realizing that the system did what we designed it for, I don’t think I can describe how I felt, knowing that we hadn’t let anyone down, that we did our due diligence, and we did it right.”
The Artemis mission to the moon will use the SLS rocket. Image: NASA
Next Saturday, June 18, NASA should begin another test phase for Artemis I. According to the agency, on this occasion, the launch teams will rehearse the rocket’s tank loading operations, and they will perform a full countdown test. , among other technical matters. Procedures.
The launch of the Orion capsule from the first unmanned mission of Artemis is expected in the second half of this year.
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